Edwin fobbes



(No Model.) e E. FORBES.

RUBBER OVERSHOE.

No. 378,245. Patented Peb. 21, 1888.

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EDWIN FORBES, OF FLATBUSII, NEV YORK.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,245, dated'february 2l, 1888.

Application filed December 23, 1887. Serial No. 258,796. (No model.)

To @ZZ zul/wilt z' may concern:

Be itknown that I, EDWIN FORBES, of Flatbush, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in India Rubber Overshoes, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to indiarubber overshoes which have formed in their uppers and extending from the edge of the footopening lengthwise toward the toe flutes or corrugations, whereby the expansibility of the upper is increased without reference to the extensibility or stretching properties of the india-rubber. As heretofore made, the ends of the flutes or corrugations which are presented at the edge of the foot-'opening have been left open, and consequently have afforded ohannels through which snow and Water` might easily enter. 'To prevent the entranee'of snow and water into the channels formed by the flutes or corrugations, I forni the Shoe with such tintes or corrngations closed at the ends which are presented at the edge of the footopening; and in order to permanently retain the iiutes or eorrugations in shape, so that the shoe will not soon become very loose upon the foot, I insert between the outer ply of indiarubber and the lining a hey-piece or stiffener, which conforms in transverse section to the shape ofthe flutes or eorrugations, and is made of a material stiffer than that which forms such outer ply.

The invention will be hereinafter particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

Inthe accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an india-rubber shoe embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the toe portion of the shoe, showing the toe of the boot as in place therein. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of a portion of the upper, showing the flutes or eorrugations and the heypicce or st-iffener in place therein and upon a slightly larger scale than Figs. l and 2; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the key-piece or stiffener in an inverted position.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The shoe embodying my invention has formed in its upper portion flutes or corrugations c-that is to say, the material of which the shoe is made is fuller than would otherwise be necessary-and the surplus material is gathered at the upper toe portion, so as to form the flutes or corrugations ce, which extend from the edge?) of the foot-openinglength- Wise toward the toe. As the shoe is vulcanized With the iiutes or corrugations in proper form, its normal condition will be with the inaterial gathered in these ilutes or corrugations, and therefore the shoe will have an expansibility independent of the extensibility or stretch of the material of which it is formed, and will lit easily upon the foot, and will not bind tightly upon the instep, as rubbers are so apt to do, especially in ease the foot be slightly swollen.

To aid in maintaining the flutes or corrugations in their normal condition, and also to give the shoe a greaterstrength to resist stretch or expansibility than it would have if the flutes or corrugations were not reen forced in any Way, I provide a keypiece or stiffener, B, which is shown best in Figs. 3 and et. This key-piece or stiffener B is also iiuted or corrugated and conforms in transverse section to the shape of the flutes or corrugations a., and the key-piece B is introduced between the outer ply, s, of india-rubber and the lining s', and may be cemented or otherwise secured to these fabrics. The end of the key-piece or stiiiener, which is presented at the front edge, b, of the foot-opening, is closed, as shown at b', and therefore serves to close these ends of y the flutes or eorrugations e and prevent snow and Water from entering the channels which they form. Inasmueh as these ends of the flutes or eorrugations are closed, I gain all neeessary expansibility in the shoe without ennploying open -ended fiutes or corrugations, which form channels through which the suonT and water may pass downward into the shoe.

The keypiece or stiffener B may be of india-rubber and should be stider or harder than the material of which the outer ply, s, of the shoe is formed. This keypiece will give the flutes or eorrugatious sufficient stiffness and contractile tendency, so that they will at all times maintain the shoe with a snug fit upon the boot, and will at the same time be sufficiently elastic or yielding to prevent the shoe binding nnpleasantly on the foot.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The india-rubber shoe herein described,

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having in iin npperpertion deines or eoiruga tions extending'longitudinally from the .edge of the foot-opening toward the toe, the ends of the flutes er corrugat'ions which are ab the 5 edge of the foot-opening being closed to prevent the ent-,renee of snow and water, substantialiy as herein described.

2. The india-rubber shoe herein described, Titnessesz having its materiel gathered in duties or eor FREDK. HAYNES, 1o rugatiens a, and having a key-piece, 13,' of nial C. E. SUNDGREN.

*aerial .stiffer Athan; mesme-.upped iutrduced between the upper and its liningend e'onforming in transverse section to the shape of the iutes or eorrugations, and serving to maintain the fiubes or eorrugabions in shape, subr 5 stiantiaily as herein described.

EDVIN FORBES. 

